Lubricant pump for machine tools



March 11, 1952 J. M. WALTER 2,588676 LUBRICANT PUMP FOR MACHINE TOOLS Filed sept. 29, 1948 2 SHEETS- SHEET 1 Z @i FJQR a 0 z 7 @a s z z 3 m M ze mv www :Wang a m u n A Y HMQUL O O O t z m ATTORNEYS.

March 11, 1952 J, M- WALTER 2,588,676

LUBRICANT PUMP FOR MACHINE TOOLS Filed Sept. 29, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 jfl.

1N VEN TOR. r/*OHN M ML TEE,

BY Mx-*M AT TO RN EVS.

Patented Mar. 11, 1952 'LUBRICANT'PUMPFOR MACHINE TOOLS .John M. Walter, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to The G. A. Gray Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation ofOhio ApplicationfSeptember 29, 1948, Serial No. 51,7 36

. 4 Claims. l

This invention vrelates toa lubricant pump for machine tools, but-it is nota substitute for lubricant pumps at present in use in connection with machine tools. The pump of the present invention -is an auxiliary pump for a specic purpose, which will vbe pointed out hereinafter.

In many machine tools, and particularly large .machine tools such as planers, wherein one member fis movable along ways on another member, trouble has ybeen had with wear and vscoring of the ways, because of the tremendous weight of the moving part. The ways in such machine tools are generally lubricated in conventional manner, but -it does not appear to be suicient to prevent the excessive wear and scoring mentioned above.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide for a supplementary flow of lubricant under pressure to the ways incident to the starting ymovement of the one member upon the other, It is another object of my invention to provide a pump and means to cause said pump to operate automatically incident to the actuation of means to move the one member upon `the other.

Itis yet another object of my invention to provide a solenoid operated pump of the piston type wherein the solenoid produces in the pump a suction stroke, and to provide biasing means in apumping direction, -together with means to release said solenoid for a pumping stroke.

This `and Aother objects of my invention which I shall point out in more detail hereinafter, or which will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon studying these specifications, I accomplish bythat certain construction and arrangement of parts of which I shall now describe an exemplary embodiment.

Reference is made to the drawings forming a part hereof and in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a solenoid and pump according to my invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the same vide a piston pump P (Figure 5) connected to a reservoir R from which it may draw lubricant and having a line leading to the ways between two relatively movable members T', T of the machine tool T. The invention is applicable to lubrication of the ways between the head and column, between the column and the base, and al1 similar situations. The pump is biased by means of a spring in a pumping direction, and

has a piston rod with a hook-like configuration.

at its end. A solenoid having a plunger with a hook-like element is arranged to pull the pump piston against the spring in a suction stroke, and means are provided after the pump piston has moved a limited distance to disengage from each other the above mentioned hook elements whereby the spring returns the pump piston in apump ing stroke.

Referring more in detail' to the gures, III indicates a portion of a machine tool which since it forms no part of the present invention need not be illustrated further. suitably secured to the member I0 by means of ,a bracket I I is the pump casing I2. The casing is provided with a cylinder I3 and entrance ports I4 controlled by a ball check valve or the like I5. The entrance ports are connected by means of a line IS to a reservoir I'I. Within the pump cylinder I3 operates the piston I8, which is provided with the elongated rod I9. The rod IS passes through a gate member 20 and is provided with a lreyway slot 2l, a pin 22 extends into the slot 2l from the member 2l) so as to permit longitudinal movement of the pistonrod I9 while preventing the rotation thereof. The piston is provided with a flange, or shoulder, 23 and a compression spring 24 is provided bearing at one end against the shoulder 23 and at its other end against the under side of the member 20. This compression spring tends to urge the piston I8 downward as seen in Figure 2.

The upper end of the piston rod I9 is formed with the hook-like configuration 25, and the sleeve portion 29a of the member 2l] acts as a guide for the piston rod I9. The sleeve 20a is cut away on one side and is provided with the cam surfaces 2Gb. n

A solenoid is indicated generally at 26 having a plunger 21 to which is pivoted as at 28 an element 29 terminating in the hook-like portion 30. A leaf spring 3| bears against the member 29, tending to urge it toward the left in Figure 2.

f Atthe lower-end of the cylinder I3 an outlet port 32 is provided which leads through a suitable oil lter 33 to the line 34, which communicates with the ways to be lubricated. At 35 there is indicated a drain-back line which may lead back to the reservoir Il.

In order that a shot of oil under pressure be provided incident to the starting of the movement along the ways, the solenoid 26 is arranged to be energized by the same button or switch S (Figure 5) which is used to initiate operation of the motor M which causes the member T to move on the ways T. Thus, in operation, when the operator presses the button, or throws a switch, to initiate movement say of the column, table,l or the like on its ways, solenoid is instantaneously actuated.l As it moves upward (the hook-like members 25 and 30 being engaged as shown in Figure 2) the piston I8 is drawn upwardly drawing the oil or other suitable lubricant from the reservoir I1 through the line I 6 past the check valve l5, and through the ports Referring now to Figure 3, as the solenoid continues to draw up the hook element and the member `29 (which is broad enough to span the distance between the cam surfaces 20D) rides up the cam surfaces 20h as shown in Figure 3 until the hook members 30 and 25 become disengaged, whereupon the compression of the spring 24 forces the piston I8 downwardly, pumping a charge of oil through the port 32, lter 33 and the line 34 to the ways to be lubricated.

As soon as the solenoid is de-energized and its plunger moves downwardly as shown in the figures, engagement of the cam surfaces 30a and 25a, causes the member 29 to swing toward the right against the leaf spring 3! until the hook elements 25 and 30 have passed each other whereupon the spring 3| returns the parts to the position of Figure 2. A

It will thus be seen that I have provided an arrangement whereby a volume of oil under pressure is delivered to the ways between two machine tool parts incident to the initiation of movement therebetween. This lubrication is in addition to and supplementary to the normal lubrication of the machine, and I have found that it greatly reduces scoring and wear of the ways, and thus prolongs the life of the machine tool.

It will be clear that numerous modications may be made in my invention without departing from the spirit thereof. I, therefore, do not intend to limit myself except as set forth in the claims which follow.

Having now fully described Imy invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a machine tool having a member movable along waysand having a switch for initiating movement of said member, said machine tool having a lubricant reservoir, a piston pump havingV a piston rod terminating in a hook element, a solenoid having a plunger terminatingY in a hook element adapted to engage the hook element on said pistonrod, said solenoid being arranged for energization upon actuation of said switch, means biasing said piston rod in opposition tothe action of' said solenoid, and means for producing disengagement of said hooks upon a predetermined amount of travel of said plunger, said pump Vbeing varranged to receive lubricant from said reservoir, and to deliver it between said member and said ways.

2. In combination with a machine tool having a member movable along ways and having a switch for initiating movement of the said member, said machine tool having a lubricant reservoir, a piston pump having a piston rod terminating in a hook element, a guide for said rod, said guide having a cam surface, a solenoid having a plunger, a hook element pivotallysecured to said plunger and adapted to engage the hook element on said piston rod, said pivoted hook element being-arranged to encounter said cam -surface after a predetermined length of movement of said plunger, means biasing said piston rod in opposition to the action of said solenoid,

said solenoid being arranged to be energized upon lactuation of said switch, and said pump being said rod in the discharging direction, a solenoid for engaging said rod for moving it in the charg-A ing direction, said solenoid being arranged for energization upon actuation of said switch, and means for disconnecting said rod from said solenoid after a predetermined amount of movement of said rod, said pump being arranged to receivel lubricant from said reservoir, and to deliver' it between said member and said ways."

4. In combination with a machine tool having a member movable along ways and having a switch for initiating movement of said member.'

said machine tool having a lubricant reservoir,

a piston pump having a piston rod, a solenoid` having a plunger and arranged for energization upon actuation of said switch, means biasing saidl piston rod in opposition to the Aaction of saidl solenoid, releasable connecting means for transmitting the movement of said plunger to 'said piston rod, and means for releasing said c0n' necting means after a predetermined amount of' travel of said plunger, said pump being arrangedl to receive lubricant from said reservoir and to deliver it between said member and said ways. JOHN M. WALTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,162,794 Magnuson Dec. 7, "1915 1,296,744 VBlood Mar. 11, '1919 1,669,504 Baker May 15, 1928 1,797,547 Class' Mar. 24, 1931 1,872,279 Hallett Aug. 16,' 1932 1,987,256 Johnson Jan. 8, 1935 2,225,539 O Persson Dec. 17, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS.

Number Country Date 101,019 Switzerland Sept. 1, 1923 

